I-76 was shut down both ways on Tuesday afternoon after a pileup in the westbound lane. The incident took place about four miles west of Fort Morgan after a strong gust of wind created extremely low visibility. According to officials at the scene, one truck driver hit his breaks when visibility diminished, causing a chain reaction of accidents behind it.

“The windy conditions resulted in extremely poor visibility that brought sand into the air and created hazards for those on the road,” Fort Morgan Fire Department First Lieutenant Dillon Prevost said. “It was similar to a whiteout – nobody could see what was in front of them.”

Lieutenant Prevost reported that there were at least five semi-trailer trucks involved in the pileup, as well as five other vehicles. Wiggins Fire Department and the Colorado State Patrol responded.

Prevost said that the scale of the accident required local agencies to act quickly and effectively. “With the volume of traffic on I-76, our agencies worked proactively to get traffic off of the interstate and past the scene,” he said. “We want to thank Wiggins Fire Department and the Colorado Department of Transportation for helping us keep things rolling during the strong winds.”

Two people were injured during the incident and were transported by the Morgan County Ambulance Service to Colorado Plains Medical Center for treatment. Details on those injured were unknown as of press time Tuesday.

I-76 remained closed well into the afternoon as the scale of the accident involved several tow trucks and rescue vehicles. “With five semi’s and a handful of other vehicles, it requires a lot of help to get things cleared up,” Prevost said. “It was especially difficult since we had a two other fires that were occurring at the same time as the accident.”